tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post5170492113566083694..comments2015-09-04T12:33:11.606-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: Why I RejectBookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-6170897253118907472011-09-11T13:04:57.250-04:002011-09-11T13:04:57.250-04:00Price of book 10
Profit to publisher 1
Roaylties ...Price of book 10<br />Profit to publisher 1<br />Roaylties 2<br />Editors, labor 3<br />Jacket, artwork 1<br />Paper 3<br />Total 10<br /><br /># pages 400<br />Cost per page 0.0075<br /><br />Cost of adding 50 pages 0.375<br /><br />Sell the book for 10.38Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-38606819125386623692011-09-08T13:24:31.622-04:002011-09-08T13:24:31.622-04:00Hi Jessica, I&#39;m new to all this so I&#39;m not...Hi Jessica, I&#39;m new to all this so I&#39;m not too sure who is actually going to read this message but anyway I&#39;m going to risk it and ask the question and just hope I receive an answer, I have just recently sent an e-mail to an agent asking him if he would be interested in a book I have wrote which is a non-fiction I gave him a very short description on what my book was about and within three days I got an e-mail back from him asking me if I would e-mail him all my chapters, should I be over the moon and dancing around the living room because of this or is this normal for an agent to e-mail a person back just after three days, I must admit I&#39;m off over the moon but I just don&#39;t want to build my hopes up too much, thank you for your time, Karen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-26443692427656478742010-12-10T19:23:02.249-05:002010-12-10T19:23:02.249-05:00I&#39;m part of a online writing group that help w...I&#39;m part of a online writing group that help with this type of thing. My MS is 108k. Paranormal Romance. Some have said this was too long.Vincent J.P. Morronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00511019949348145787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-3288240820255353042010-12-07T10:54:14.697-05:002010-12-07T10:54:14.697-05:00Wow! So much emphasis on word count. What about th...Wow! So much emphasis on word count. What about the story? The formalities you mention are important in the publishingg process however the stats in terms of actually being published regardless of word count, agent or editor approval, suggests that most authors don&#39;t stand much of a chance of being published by a major publishing house anyway. The whole traditional process of getting published is unappealing and I will continue to self publish!Brenda L. Foster aka Author B.B.Lovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135212505205512667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-45944895169189764832010-09-24T10:20:57.607-04:002010-09-24T10:20:57.607-04:00Why are you making things difficult? For instance,...Why are you making things difficult? For instance, if 100,000 words are okay for a given genre, then what you are really saying is that 400 pages is the maximum. Right? (based on 250 w/page)<br />So if I write a heavy dialog work &#39;only&#39; 90,000 words long but with a mere 200 words per page, since that comes to 450 pages it would be rejected on length?<br />(All other considerations being equal, of course)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-67422327127485040082010-03-11T21:22:25.998-05:002010-03-11T21:22:25.998-05:00Man, this is great advice, but I&#39;m just going ...Man, this is great advice, but I&#39;m just going to focus on writing a great story, compelling characters and put my word count in my query. As long as it falls within the required limit, I should be fine. I already type with a 12 size Courier in 1-inch-margined pages.<br /><br />All this talk of calculating 250 words per page - do I have to ensure that 250 words fit into every single page??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-14828071807627325592010-03-11T17:55:42.551-05:002010-03-11T17:55:42.551-05:00Having started my publishing career in the product...Having started my publishing career in the production site of the business, I shudder to think you&#39;re rejecting manuscripts based on word count calculated by multiplying manuscript pages by 250. That&#39;s a &quot;rough estimate&quot; calculation that, if offered with any kind of authority, will get the person in trouble when final page count is calculated and their P&amp;L explodes in their face.<br /><br />There are some simple cast-off methods that take a little more time but are far more accurate, and of course the full cast-off method will create an even more accurate estimate.<br /><br />If you&#39;ve received good queries and rejected it based on 250 words x MS pages, you did both yourself and the author a disservice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-85260219296919075262010-03-03T04:34:46.663-05:002010-03-03T04:34:46.663-05:00Hello, wonderful blog!thank you. By the way,here w...Hello, wonderful blog!thank you. By the way,here we offer a lot of good nike shoes,you can come to have <br /><br />a look.<br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-r5-c-49_79.html" rel="nofollow">nike shox r5</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-air-max-180-c-49_80.html" rel="nofollow">nike air max 180</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-air-max-180-air-yeezy-sneakers-nike-homme-chaussures-blanc-" rel="nofollow">air yeezy sneakers</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">tn chaussures</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">nike tn</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">tn chaussures</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">nike air max</a><br /><a href="http://www.tradewe.com/nike-shox-rival-r3-c-71_82.html" rel="nofollow">sneakers</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-oz-c-51_68.html" rel="nofollow">shox oz</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-monster-c-49_67.html" rel="nofollow">nike shox monster</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-r5-bon-marche-shox-r5-chaussures-nike-shox-blanc-or-p-" rel="nofollow">bon marche shox r5</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">men&#39;s nike shoes</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-air-max-97-c-49_85.html" rel="nofollow">nike air max 97</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">nike store</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-r4-c-49_66.html" rel="nofollow">nike shox r4</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">nike air max</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-tn-classic-c-49_62.html" rel="nofollow">achat nike shox</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">cheap nike shoes</a><br /><a href="http://kitty200911.worldpress.com" rel="nofollow">tn chaussures</a> <br /><a href="http://trustme2010.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">nike air max</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-chaussure-enfant-c-52.html" rel="nofollow">enfant chaussures</a> <br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com" rel="nofollow">nike tn requin</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-tn-dollar-c-51_54.html" rel="nofollow">nike tn</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-r4-cartoon-c-52_72.html" rel="nofollow">nike shox cartoon</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-air-max-ltd-c-51_83.html" rel="nofollow">nike air max ltd</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-dunk-sb-low-c-49_81.html" rel="nofollow">nike dunk sb</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-tn-spider-c-49_55.html" rel="nofollow">tn chaussures</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-air-max-180-c-49_80.html" rel="nofollow">nike air max 180</a><br /><a href="http://www.tnchaussurescom.com/nike-shox-r4-cartoon-discount-enfant-chaussures-nike-cartoon-" rel="nofollow">discount enfant chaussures</a>trustmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14822109021461864699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-16715499585765991212009-07-07T12:24:13.094-04:002009-07-07T12:24:13.094-04:00This really touched base with me. I&#39;ve sent ou...This really touched base with me. I&#39;ve sent out several queries but have received almost all &quot;no thanks yous&quot;. I&#39;m thinking the reason may be that my manuscript is 40,000 words. <br /><br />I thought it could be marketed as a novella but knowing that manuscripts get turned away due to word count I will definitely get to fleshing it out. <br /><br />Thank you!BCNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06255218695084563832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-68083667554540677122009-06-15T21:37:45.426-04:002009-06-15T21:37:45.426-04:00Thanks for posting this. Obviously rejections are ...Thanks for posting this. Obviously rejections are a part of being a writer - but I&#39;m glad to know, when it comes right down to it, you&#39;re just looking for a great book! And that&#39;s what I hope we all strive to create.Maryhttp://lunchwithmary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-9433082470686310682009-03-05T22:09:00.000-05:002009-03-05T22:09:00.000-05:00百家乐 轮盘 21点 德州扑克 百家乐系统 真人娱乐场 百家乐 足球 德州扑克 电子游戏 英格兰超级...<A HREF="http://www.111casino.net/" REL="nofollow">百家乐</A> <A HREF="http://www.111casino.net/" REL="nofollow">轮盘</A> <A HREF="http://www.111casino.net/" REL="nofollow">21点</A> <A HREF="http://www.111casino.net/" REL="nofollow">德州扑克</A> <A HREF="http://www.111casino.net/" REL="nofollow">百家乐系统</A> <A HREF="http://www.007royale.net/" REL="nofollow">真人娱乐场</A> <A HREF="http://www.007royale.net/" REL="nofollow">百家乐</A> <A HREF="http://www.007royale.net/" REL="nofollow">足球</A> <A HREF="http://www.007royale.net/" REL="nofollow">德州扑克</A> <A HREF="http://www.007royale.net/" REL="nofollow">电子游戏</A> <A HREF="http://www.588soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">英格兰超级联赛</A> <A HREF="http://www.588soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">德国甲组联赛</A> <A HREF="http://www.588soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">意大利甲组联赛</A> <A HREF="http://www.588soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">西班牙甲组联赛</A> <A HREF="http://www.588soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">法国甲组联赛欧冠杯</A> <A HREF="http://www.168soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">英超</A> <A HREF="http://www.168soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">足球比分</A> <A HREF="http://www.168soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">足球彩票</A> <A HREF="http://www.168soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">体育彩票</A> <A HREF="http://www.168soccer.com/" REL="nofollow">即时比分</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/vod.aspx" REL="nofollow">免費a片</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/vod.aspx" REL="nofollow">a片</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/vod.aspx" REL="nofollow">免費av</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/vod.aspx" REL="nofollow">色情影片</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/" REL="nofollow">情色</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/" REL="nofollow">情色網</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/" REL="nofollow">色情網站</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/" REL="nofollow">色情</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/index.aspx" REL="nofollow">成人網</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/index.aspx" REL="nofollow">成人圖片</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/index.aspx" REL="nofollow">成人影片</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/index.aspx" REL="nofollow">18成人</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/girls.aspx" REL="nofollow">av</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/girls.aspx" REL="nofollow">av女優</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/coverstorylist.aspx" REL="nofollow">av</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/coverstorylist.aspx" REL="nofollow">av女優</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/monthly.aspx" REL="nofollow">性</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/monthly.aspx" REL="nofollow">情慾</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/monthly.aspx" REL="nofollow">走光</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/monthly.aspx" REL="nofollow">做愛</A> <A HREF="http://www.hilive.tv/monthly.aspx" REL="nofollow">sex</A> <A HREF="http://comic.hilive.tv/list.aspx" REL="nofollow">H漫</A> <A HREF="http://www.hisex.tv/" REL="nofollow">情色</A> <A HREF="http://www.aauu.com.tw/" REL="nofollow">情趣用品</A> <A HREF="http://www.hiair.tv/" REL="nofollow">情色</A> <A HREF="http://www.3qavdvd.com/" REL="nofollow">a片</A> <A HREF="http://avline.tv/" REL="nofollow">a片</A> <A HREF="http://avline.tv/" REL="nofollow">成人網站</A> <A HREF="http://avline.tv/" REL="nofollow">成人影片</A> <A HREF="http://www.funlovetoy.com.tw/" REL="nofollow">情趣用品</A> <A HREF="http://www.love99.com.tw/" REL="nofollow">情趣用品</A> <A HREF="http://www.t-powers.tv/index.html" REL="nofollow">アダルト</A> <A HREF="http://www.t-powers.tv/" REL="nofollow">アダルト</A> <A HREF="http://www.ionpromotion.jp/top/index.html" REL="nofollow">アダルトサイト</A> <A HREF="http://www.ionpromotion.jp/" REL="nofollow">アダルトサイト</A> <A HREF="http://www.sex999.com.tw/" REL="nofollow">情趣用品</A>夕阳栖下https://www.blogger.com/profile/10964173141030735304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-58305097839836750292007-12-07T19:14:00.000-05:002007-12-07T19:14:00.000-05:00Ugh. My novel, Neitherworld, is over 200,000 word...Ugh. My novel, Neitherworld, is over 200,000 words - that's 200,000+ words PER book one and book two. Perhaps that's why I finally went the pod route. Those intrepid enough to take on a James Mitchner-length story can check it out on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Neitherworld-Book-One-Akiiwan/dp/143031253X/ref=cm_lmf_tit_2_rdssss1<BR/><BR/>or read the prologue here:<BR/><BR/>Prologue<BR/><BR/> “Because my grandmother was a shaman, that’s why!” Orenda exclaimed, balling her fists in anger. “She healed people. Daddy said people felt…threatened by her. But she was just trying to help people.”<BR/> “But if she knew people were after her, why didn’t she go to the police, to someone who could make it stop?” Sam asked.<BR/> “Daddy said no one believed her. Well, I guess someone believed her - enough to run her and my grandfather off a cliff!” Orenda hesitated and looked down. “I never even got to meet them.”<BR/> “I’m so sorry Orenda. I wish there was something I could do. You’ve been through more than any child your age should ever have to go through. I’m sorry your great grandfather was crippled and your grandparents were killed…and most of all, that your father died.”<BR/> “Cal and the other Sky Watchers think he was murdered,” Orenda said bitterly, while staring at the trunk between them - her father’s trunk.<BR/> “Oh, Orenda, I don’t know if they’re right or not. If I did, believe me, I’d help bring the people who did it to justice myself. If Cal could only offer some sort of proof….”<BR/> “All the proof is in that trunk,” Orenda said firmly. “But I guess you don’t believe it either,” she sighed.<BR/> “Believe what, exactly, Orenda?”<BR/> “In Voice-in-the-Sky. That he could do all those things. That his…uh, descendants could too.”<BR/> “Orenda, I’ve seen what’s in the trunk.” Sam held her purse with the diary inside close. “Just tell me the truth.”<BR/>Orenda shook her head and stared into space. “You sound like Ron did. I’m sure you and he will be very happy together.”<BR/> “That’s nice of you to say, I guess,” Sam said. Her voice quavered as she asked, “By the way, Orenda, do you know where he is…or any of the others?”<BR/> Orenda didn’t answer. She took three steps toward Sam. Sam backed away before telling herself it was silly to be afraid of a ten year old girl. “You’re different from the others,” Orenda said in a strangely distant voice. “You…you see things too, don’t you?” Orenda took another step closer and against all reason, Sam backed away again.<BR/> “I don’t know what you mean, Orenda.”<BR/> “Now who’s hiding things?” Orenda asked, taking another step closer.<BR/> They were both on the wooden platform now, between the trunk and the subbasement wall. Orenda was close enough for Sam to see the brilliant shine in her green eyes, even in the dim lantern light. “You have dreams…visions, like me. We’re not that different actually,” Orenda said.<BR/> “Yes, Orenda, we have a lot in common, I’m sure. We should talk about that sometime. But I’m not going to run from you anymore, Orenda, no matter what you and your Gichi-mishoomis were talking about upstairs.”<BR/> “Oh, you overheard that too,” Orenda said disappointedly. “Then there’s really no choice, I guess.”<BR/> “Orenda, what are you talking about? What happened to Tim, Grace, Doctor Thompson and Ron?” Sam demanded.<BR/> “It won’t hurt, really,” Orenda said distantly, tears coming down her cheeks. Silvery dust swirled in the subbasement the way it did in the cave when... She knew it wouldn’t be doing so unless she was supposed to use it, unless it was providing her with an alternative now that her mother had forbidden her from going to the island. She was sure of that much. “By the way, Samantha, there’s a spider in your hair,” Orenda said.<BR/> Sam reached up to brush away the spider. Orenda suddenly grabbed her wrist. When Sam wrapped her stronger hand around the child’s arm, more in bemusement than fear, Orenda grabbed her other wrist. Sam stood still with a crooked smile, waiting; she didn’t want to hurt her. "Orenda?"<BR/> “Why didn’t you tell the police, or Jimmy about me?”<BR/> “Who says I didn’t?” Sam bluffed.<BR/> “No, I know you didn’t,” Orenda said, holding both of Sam’s wrists now.<BR/> “Alright, I…I have trust issues.”<BR/> Orenda nodded and sighed. “Yeah, so do I.”<BR/> “What do you mean…oh my God…”<BR/> The dark subbasement became even darker.<BR/>=====<BR/>Oh, wait. Didn't James Mitchner sell a lot of best-sellers? Hmmmm...Scott on the Spotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-56364889393789057442007-11-19T08:47:00.000-05:002007-11-19T08:47:00.000-05:00I think that is why non-fiction books are usually ...I think that is why non-fiction books are usually sold on proposal. That way the publisher sees the proposal and can plot out how much they are able to invest in the production. Then the book is written into those constraints after the contract is already signed.<BR/><BR/>But I don't know as much about non-fiction books.Chessienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-60473450601005056222007-11-19T07:55:00.000-05:002007-11-19T07:55:00.000-05:00I guess all bets are off for nonfiction, but is th...I guess all bets are off for nonfiction, but is there a general rule in that area as well?<BR/>Memoir seems almost "novelistic" in its presentation, so I'd imagine the counts that apply to novels apply there. But nonfiction in general? Say, a craft book that will have some photos included?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-66526539154992420282007-11-18T19:16:00.000-05:002007-11-18T19:16:00.000-05:00Well, at best estimate I am going to run 140,000 w...Well, at best estimate I am going to run 140,000 words for a fantasy. I'm not going to worry about cutting yet. I'll get the story finished and then enlist the help of friends with sharp pencils, knives and other slicing instruments.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-34849641100003529942007-11-18T10:56:00.000-05:002007-11-18T10:56:00.000-05:00Yeah, but I'm also sure you want to have the book ...Yeah, but I'm also sure you want to have the book at a reasonable price. In order to keep printing costs down, it only makes sense to do all the books with one process. It is more efficient, and therefore, paperbacks can be sold for under ten dollars.<BR/><BR/>If all the books were different lengths, they would also be more expensive to produce, and guess who gets to pay for that. The consumer. This is just one of those things you have to know up front that it is a constraint, and work with it instead of lamenting it.<BR/><BR/>What if every script for a T.V sitcom had different lengths? My Tivo would be a mess. If you are planning to write genre fiction, there is an automatic expectation that the book will be a very specific length. So when you structure your novel, pay attention to the length from the very beginning, and voila, one less thing that "counts against you," as a new writer.Chessienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-80253124793450336652007-11-18T08:15:00.000-05:002007-11-18T08:15:00.000-05:00Hi, I'm a reader, I want a good read, and lots of ...Hi, I'm a reader, I want a good read, and lots of words so that I can get my money's worth from a book. After reading quite a few agents blogs about which books (as manuscripts) "look Interesting" or " I am passionate about". I really wonder how many great books we readers miss out on because an agent is always looking for a new spin! I don't expect every book to blow me away, I just want some great characters whom I can love or hate with a good setting and some interesting facts about places I may never visit. Every book is original, even if the plot is similar to others. <BR/>As a reader with limited funds to buy books, give me lots of words.Casnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-28163525712095477962007-11-17T21:22:00.000-05:002007-11-17T21:22:00.000-05:00Ah, well, this would explain why I keep getting th...Ah, well, this would explain why I keep getting that big 900-page fantasy horror rejected, aside from whatever else may be bogging down the dastardly query. <BR/><BR/>This was a great blog, Jessica, and very helpful. Luckily, I have smaller works completed. I just figured the titanic piece was my first and looked better as the order I saw my novels getting published. Sacrifices will have to be made, it looks like. Thank you for this. <BR/>Brandon<BR/><A HREF="http://www.bloodredtales.com" REL="nofollow">BloodRedTales</A>Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579824151962242347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-54230462960302267772007-11-17T18:45:00.000-05:002007-11-17T18:45:00.000-05:00Yeah, there are exceptions all the time, but your ...Yeah, there are exceptions all the time, but your book has to be something that the publishing company believes in so strongly that they are willing to print it "special" and make allowances for it.<BR/><BR/>The first three Harry Potter books were all about the same length and about the size of most teen fiction, until Rowling reached book four and had enough clout to say, "I'm writing the book my way, and if you want to sell it, sit down and hush up."<BR/><BR/>Or something like that. LOLChessienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-65359925824409738212007-11-17T17:30:00.000-05:002007-11-17T17:30:00.000-05:00You're right on this. But there are exceptions, of...You're right on this. But there are exceptions, of course, like with Eragon, which had to have 20,000 words cut and was still around 500 pages, selling 8 million in just 3 years.Kaleb Nationhttp://www.kalebnation.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-25268189879468866002007-11-17T09:40:00.000-05:002007-11-17T09:40:00.000-05:00Maybe it would help if people thought of this in t...Maybe it would help if people thought of this in two different ways.<BR/><BR/>You have your word count, i.e. the exact number of words in your document. In my case, it is 81,988. No matter what I do with the formatting, that is how many words I have.<BR/><BR/>Then there is page space. My book takes up 96,000 words worth of space on a page.<BR/><BR/>If I'm submitting to an epub that doesn't have the constraint of buying and formatting the paper this book will have to fit on, then they would only need the actual number of words. 81K and change.<BR/><BR/>But if I'm submitting to a publishing house that does need to worry about how much paper is being taken up by this book, they need to know that the book uses more page space than 81K. It uses the space of 96,000 words. That is a much fatter book than one containing 81,000 words.<BR/><BR/>Most publishers are concerned with how fat the book is, or the page space. I type in Courier because it is easier to multiply by 250 than 350 for TNR. I don't like math.<BR/><BR/>I've heard, and I guess Jessica just confirmed it. Agents and editors like to look at the page count and know automatically how fat that book is going to be when printed. They can't determine that if only given the exact word count. They can determine that if the ms has standard formatting. Then it is a just a quick and simple multiplication problem.<BR/><BR/>That is why there is standard formatting in the first place. If it didn't matter how fat the book was, we could write in Century Gothic font and no one would care. The standard is there so people can estimate the page space quickly.Chessienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-76974543045495071042007-11-17T08:53:00.000-05:002007-11-17T08:53:00.000-05:00Glad I could be of help, Anon 7:12pm. I struggled...Glad I could be of help, Anon 7:12pm. I struggled with the concept at first, but then the light bulb went off.<BR/><BR/>The thing to keep in mind is that, unless you are writing ebooks, your published book is a physical thing that has physical constraints. It's an object that has to fit inside a cover--and book spines still jump in signatures, I think, so the publisher can't just add a few pages, they have to add pages in multiples of...8? 16?...I forget. Then it has to fit in boxes to get to the bookstores (My books are 48 books to a box.). Then it has to fit on bookstore shelves or--maybe harder--those metal racks in Walmart (if you are so lucky!) (PS--I'm not expert, so don't take my word as gospel, of course, and my field is mass market romance, so other genres may differ.)<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't get TOO hung up on the whole word count thing, though. You probably need to know at least in a ballpark way so you have an idea of the size of the story you can tell--a shorter series story might not fit a longer single title length and vice versa. But if your story or voice is compelling or fresh enough, an editor might still grab your manuscript. My first book, The Naked Duke, sold because it was a finalist in the (now defunct) Regency category of RWA's Golden Heart. That meant it was a shortish category length. My editor just told me to make it longer to fit the single title size. An interesting exercise.<BR/><BR/>I have had my editor tell me, long after a book was done and handed in, that it was too short--it wouldn't fit the spine--could I make it longer? Instead I offered her the first chapter of the next book. (A win/win--I made up the physical length AND got some promotion out there.) A friend told me she got the call to add x number of pages to her story in an anthology. She speculated someone hadn't been able to deliver a story at the last minute, so the remaining authors had to make up the space to fit the spine.<BR/><BR/>It's an interesting business. But the important thing is always...just write the best d#mn book you can.Sally MacKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15166303880685146915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-8814610657725930822007-11-17T07:13:00.000-05:002007-11-17T07:13:00.000-05:00Great post! I'm loving your blog. Diana Peterfre...Great post! I'm loving your blog. Diana Peterfreund, one of my TARA sisters, sent me over to your blog by way of hers. Now I'm hooked. :D<BR/><BR/>Maybe I’m off here but word count is exactly that, word count. I use TNR 12 and I set my page up at 1-inch margins, exactly 25 lines per page, window orphan off, and first line of each paragraph by 0.5”. I’m still going to have 90,000 words when finished regardless of how many pages I have.<BR/> <BR/>My current wip is at 67,859 words. Using TNR 12 I am at 223 pages. If I change the font to Courier New 12 I am at 303 pages. Which if I use the CN 12 it looks like I’ve added a whopping 80 pages. I haven’t. I still have 67,859 words. I think (again, I could be wrong) which ever of the two fonts you prefer to write in is fine. You still need the correct amount of words when you type “The End”, your page count will just be different depending on the font.Vickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04521384704019863926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-19962472348687712202007-11-16T23:22:00.000-05:002007-11-16T23:22:00.000-05:00Southern Writer,Thanks, that gives me hope. I kno...Southern Writer,<BR/><BR/>Thanks, that gives me hope. I know Paladin's Pride will be sliced and diced, but I have a very bad habit of using most of the elements I put in the story. Yes, there really is a reason for the wizard's obsession with rebuilding his wife's henhouse he blew up.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-60025172966355621782007-11-16T23:07:00.000-05:002007-11-16T23:07:00.000-05:00Jessica this is great news. But, what about counts...Jessica this is great news. But, what about counts for MG, Tweens, and YA?Arjaynoreply@blogger.com